Maersk partners with ISATL to build custom bonded warehouse in Chattogram

A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) said that it has joined forces with Ispahani Summit Alliance Terminals Limited (ISATL) for the construction of a 200,000sft custom bonded warehouse in Chattogram, Bangladesh.

ISATL is engaged in constructing and operating warehouses and container freight stations (CFS). The Bangladesh-based firm is operating four container freight stations within Chattogram and the River Terminal at Dhaka.

Maersk said that under the scope of the partnership, ISATL will build a new custom bonded warehouse within the existing premises of the existing facility at Pathortoli in Chattogram.

According to the Danish shipping company, the new warehouse will increase the existing capacity of ISATL by two folds and add nearly 8% additional space to the available ecosystem at Chattogram.

Maersk said that although exports of garments from Bangladesh had grown impressively, the number of warehouses in Chattogram did not increase since 2012 with the exception of ISATL that began operations in 2018.

Angshuman Mustafi — Managing Director of Maersk Bangladesh said: “Maersk’s commitment to connect and simplify our customers’ supply chains means that we look at long term solutions for problems such as the longstanding congestion within the ecosystem. We tackled the situation in 2021 by deploying an additional vessel for evacuating export loaded containers.

“The solutions provided immediate relief to the ecosystem, but there was a need for a comprehensive solution to optimise ocean shipping, port handling and inland logistics that would benefit trade in the long term. By partnering with ISATL, we are establishing a facility that has the potential to partially decongest the system from the landside and streamline the flow of cargo in and out of Bangladesh.”

Maersk said that the construction of the new container freight station has already begun and is likely to be wrapped up in a phased manner by the end of this year.

The Danish shipping company stated that Bangladesh’s exporters and their overseas buyers could begin using the custom bonded warehouse from July 2022 after the first phase of construction is done.

Yasser Rizvi — Managing Director of ISATL said: “We are proud to partner with Maersk on this exciting long term project where ISATL’s extensive local experience combined with Maersk’s international best practices will allow us to create a truly world-class facility that will help raise the standards for the entire industry.”